Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteer members dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Kiwanis and its family of clubs - nearly 600,000 members strong - annually raise more than $107 million and dedicate more than 18 million volunteer hours to strengthen communities and serve children.

Our Club...

In 1952, the Kiwanis Club of Mecklenburg, Charlotte was founded with the purpose of serving children in the Mecklenburg County area. We're proud to continue a long, rich history of helping those children truly in need in Charlotte and the surrounding area. Please ask any of our members how you can join our cause to make a life changing difference today!

Our club has speakers from the local area and beyond to share information, organizations, happenings, and events. Any newcomers are always welcome and are encouraged to come!

Service is at the heart of every Kiwanis International club, no matter where in the world it’s located. Kiwanis members stage nearly 150,000 service projects, devote more than 6 million hours of service and raise nearly US$100 million every year for communities, families and projects. Key Club members pitch in 12 million hours of service each year, and CKI members another 500,000 hours of service! Aktion Club members donate another 92,000 hours of service every year. Add it all up, and that’s more than 18 million hours of service every year!

Worldwide Service Project

Members and clubs contributed more than US$100 million toward the global elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD), the leading preventable cause of mental retardation. Heralded as one of the most successful health initiatives in the world, today those dollars are at work in more than 103 nations.

Kiwanis One Day

Kiwanis members work in their communities all year long. But for one day in April each year, the entire Kiwanis family of programs—Kiwanis Kids, Builders Club, Key Club, CKI, Aktion Club and Kiwanis clubs—comes together for a day of hands-on community service that is felt around the world. Members build playgrounds, volunteer at local shelters, stock shelves at food pantries and tackle any project to change the world one child and one community at a time.

Kiwanis of Mecklenburg becomes a Model Club in 2014!

On May 19, 2014, members of the Club received various recognitions as the Club became a Model Club for the Eliminate Project. Mecklenburg Kiwanis donated more than $14,000 in April 2014 for the Eliminate project which is an international partnership with Unicef to help eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus. More than 60,000 babies as well as mothers die every year from tetanus, a disease easily eradicated with vaccine. Read more here

A Model Club in Kiwanis donates $750 (or more) per member. As a result, various recognitions were made to the following members:

Walter Zeller Fellowship awards went to Bob Swanson and Sam McMahon for their long standing commitment to service. Eleven George F Hixson Fellowships for commitment to service were awarded to Gerald Baysden, Keri Brennan, John Downey, Dan Geiser, Matt Hagler, Chet Helt, Valerie Lemond, Jeff McGuire, Ryan Schrift, Frank Shepherdson and Doug Dickison (posthumously). And three recognitions into the Leadership Society were bestowed upon John Bean, Candi Knudson and Jennifer Wittmer in appreciation of their hard work and support of the Kiwanis Mission.

Shay Merritt

Shay Merritt works at Second Harvest Food Bank and told us how their operation works and how they assist children with their weekend backpack program. Some individuals made monetary donations at the meeting. Assisting as volunteers, helping to pack the backpacks was our second quarter community service project. The club also donated $300 for 60 backpacks specifically for this program. In many cases, the weekend backpack is all the food the child’s family receives the entire weekend.

Lance Dixon

Lance Dixon works for Corporate Chaplains of America and started our year off on the right foot, asking us to put God first in our hearts for our club and for our children.

Any contribution is greatly appreciated and helps make a BIG difference. Donate TODAY!